to Wills of our Ancestors!
If you have a copy of a
will from one of your ancestors and would like to have it posted here,
please email me, Jacque, and I
would be honored to display it here for you. Make sure you have read my
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WILL OF ARCHIBALD HOPKINS, JR., THE
PIONEER!
This nineteenth day of March 1799, I, Archebald
Hopkins, Jr., of Rockingham County and State of Virginia, being weake in
body but of Perfect mind and memory Do make this my Last will &
testament. I bequeath to my wife, Jennet Hopkins her Dowry according to
law & to have her choice of all the feather beds in my possession
& to have one with such furniture as she shall choose for one bed; I
bequeath to my Son Ephraim Hopkins the Plantation he now lives on lying on
both Sides of mudy Creek Containing 310 acres by Survey to him and his
heirs & forever, I bequeath to my grand Son Archibald Hopkins, Son of
Ephraim Hopkins a tract of land lying on both sides of mudy creek and
adjoining the Lands I now live on & Lands formerly belonging to Thomas
Shanklin & likewise a Part of the Land I now live on and joining the
fore track begining at a Pine on the West side of the Creek in a line of
the land I now live on & running from thence a strait line to the
wright hand of the lowernopt gap in the hill on the East side of the
Creek, Continuing still a strait line from sd gap until it strikes the
line of my land on the east side of the creek to him and his heirs &c
for ever & Forever my Son Ephraim Hopkins to have the profits arising
from the lands untill his son Archibald Hopkins is 21 years of age,
Provided he lives till that period on the Land he now lives on, I bequeath
to my grand Son Thomas Hopkins, Son of Ephraim Hopkins, a track of land
lying on mudy Creek now occupied by James McHoney & likewise two other
surveys joining said track land to him & his heirs &c forever
& Forever that his father Ephraim Hopkins have the profits arising
from the lands until his son Thomas Hopkins is 21 years of age Provided
resides till that period on the land he now occupies & should sd
Ephraim Hopkins remove to a distant part of the Country then my executors
to have the care of my grand Sons lands after such removal & the
profits arising from sd lands to be appropriated for the benefit of my
grand Sons untill they are of the age afforesaid, I bequeath to my Son
william hopkins the Plantation I now live on that is all the lands that is
included in the inclusive survey, I made, except that Part that I have
before mentioned as given by this will to my grand Son Archibald hopkins
and my wifes dowery Dureing her life with all its improvements to him
& his heirs &c forever & Forever that the Plantation I
purchased of George & David Berry Sen to be sold & preserving the
water courses and benefits of the waters of said plantation for the
benefit of the Plantation I have given by this will to my Son William
hopkins and all my other Lands that I possess in harrison County & the
other Countys in that Part of said State if any to be likewise sold &
the money arising from such sale to be eaquealy Devided amongst my three
Daughters Children to those they now have and to those they shall
hereafter have, & all my Personal estate except one of the waggons and
all other Plantation utentials & two horse beasts which is to remain
the property of my Son William & he is have his choice of the waggons
& likewise of the horse beasts except my wifes horse beast I order
that she shall have the first coice and Sadle & her weareing appearl
preserved as her own property & all the Personal estate Remains that
is not already mentioned to be sold & the money arising from said sale
& all the debts to me Due or hereafter may become due (except that
Debt Due to me from Benjamin Smiths estate for the warrent he got fromme
the money of which I leave to my son William) to be eaquealy Devided
between my wife and three Daughters & I appoint william Prolston &
my son William hopkins executors of this my Last will & testament
& the Reservation of the water courses to extend in breadth three
poles with the meanders of the Creek from Mathew Harrison Line of the one
fork & from about 60 poles of the other fork of the
Creek.
(Spelling, except as corrected, is that of Archibald
Hopkins) From the book "A Chapter in Hopkins Genealogy 1735-1905" written
by Ella Warren Harrison 1851-1937, published by Chicago Lakeside Press,
1905 Library of Congress Call #: Microfilm 87/5850 (c) Description: 396p
(2) leaves of plates: ill, facsim, ports 25cm
WILL OF JENNET HOPKINS, WIDOW OF
ARCHIBALD (ERCEBALD) HOPKINS, THE PIONEER!
This first day of July 1803 I Jennet Hopkins of
Rockingham County and state of Virginia do make and ordain this to be my
last will and testament that is to say I bequeath to my Daughter in law
Nancy Hopkins wife of Ephriam Hopkins ten pounds likewise I bequeath to my
granddaughter Jennet Hopkins daughter of Ephriam Hopkins fifty pounds I
bequeath to my granddaughters Sarah gracy hannah and peggy Hopkins all
daughters of Ephriam Hopkins thrity pounds each to be levied out of my
estate to be in the care of my Executors to be paid to them as they
severally come of age and if any of them should die before they come of
age without heirs of their own body their legacy to be equally divided
amongst the rest the money to be put to interest for their use as soon as
convenancy will admit I bequeath to my son Ephriam Hopkins a note of
twenty two pounds ten shilings and the sum of twenty five pounds fifteen
shillings that I paid for him of executions and my part of the price of a
negro man named umphra and a sorrel mare that he has now in his possession
to him and his heirs forever I bequeath to my son William Hopkins one good
feather bed and furniture and the one half of my thirds sence my husbands
death that is of the mill and the stock belonging to me is to be appraised
/ indifferent men and my son William may keep ????ment if he chooses the
remainder of / ?? I bequeath to my three daughters Elizabeth Mary (??Jane)
equally devided amongst them or their heirs / ?? that my son Ephriam
Hopkins shold bring ??room against the heirs of George Baxter / (torn off)
?????y Decd husband Conserning my father ????te then what I have
bequeathed to him / ??? to my estate and be ? ??? ???s Elizabeth Mary and
(??Jane) (??ap)oint my son William sole executors of this end
........
Archibald Hopkins is my 5th
great-grandfather and Jennet LOVE was his wife. William, whom he and
Jennet mentions in their wills, is my 4th great-grandfather. Where there
is the ?? beside the name Jane in Jennet's will, I have typed in the name
because I know Jane was one of the daughters.
These graphics were done by an artist and
are the property of the artist. They are not for the taking.
This page last updated on February 2005 Copyright by Jacque Hopkins, 1996-2005
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